Hubert Rutkowski, pianist

"A sensitive poet of sound",

"the pianist's way of playing may be regarded as closer to the old performance traditions of Friedman or Paderewski rather than leaning towards contemporary, very often too disciplined and unerringly standardized, concepts of performing",

"the artist captivates with the way he accurately reads the lyricism comprised in music and reaches for virtuoso skills only when needed".

This is how the pianist is spoken of in the Polish, German and American music press.

Hubert Rutkowski was the first pianist ever to record piano pieces by Julian Fontana, Chopin's friend and pupil, and to make the first CD recording in Poland of Theodor Leschetizky's music pieces for the Acte Préalable Publishing House (2007, 2008). Since then, he has been performing in most European countries, the USA, South America, Russia, Cuba and Cyprus. The artist's interests concentrate around the unknown works of pupils of Fryderyk Chopin. He made CD "Pupils of Chopin" – with piano works by Carl Filtsch, Thomas D. A. Tellefsen, Karol Mikuli and Adolph Gutmann for NAXOS Label (2010).

The pianist is a graduate of the Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw in the class of professor Anna Jastrzebska-Quinn. Studies within the scope of chamber music he has completed with professor Krystyna Borucinska. Having finished studies, he pursued doctoral studies there under the direction of professor Alicja Paleta-Bugaj. Between 2005-2010, he completed master postgraduate studies at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hamburg in the class of professor Evgeni Koroliov.

He is a prize-holder of many international and national piano competitions, including the Main Prize of the Chopin Competition in Hannover (2007); 2nd prize at the 15th Elise Meyer Competition in Hamburg (2006); distinction "Medalla per Unanimitat" at the 52nd International Maria Canals Piano Competition in Barcelona (2006); 1st prize at the National Piano Competition in Warsaw (2000); 3rd prize at the International Chopin Piano Competition in Vilnius (1999).

He participated in many prestigious master courses carried out under the direction of eminent artists, like: Halina Czerny-Stefanska, Andrzej Jasinski, Vera Gornostaeva, Piotr Paleczny, Piero Rattalino, Michel Beroff and Arie Vardi.

Hubert Rutkowski is a founder and President of the Theodor Leschetizky Music Society in Warsaw.

Since April 2010 he has served as a professor at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hamburg.